Chapter 41 - Sparring with Zhao Hufeng!
Boom--!
Under the continuous heavy blows, the floor, unable to withstand the pressure, finally shattered.
In a loud bang, Zhao Hufeng was sent flying.
He tumbled through the air twice, completely dissipating the remaining force on his body, before landing steadily on the ground.
"It seems that this 'outing' did indeed help you recover somewhat."
Initially smiling, Zhao Hufeng, when mentioning the 'outing,' seemed to recall something that brought a fleeting expression of pain to his face.
Following that, Zhao Hufeng's momentum noticeably surged.
Although he was talking, his movements didn't stop. A large amount of Prana gathered under Zhao Hufeng's feet on his peculiarly shaped combat boots.
With a forceful stomp of his right foot on the ground, accompanied by Prana gushing from the boots, Zhao Hufeng seemed to teleport, appearing behind Luke in an instant.
He rotated his body, leveraging centrifugal force, and his left leg, like an extended whip, lashed out towards Luke.
Luke, calm and composed, sensed Zhao Hufeng's movements and the flow of air.
As Zhao Hufeng kicked towards him, Luke counterattacked by striking his ankle with a sword, neutralizing Zhao Hufeng's attack.
This move involved sensing the opponent's breath and the flow of air to evade or counterattack—a technique known as Shigure-Soen-Ryu, 4th form: Gofuu Juuu.
"So, Senior Brother Zhao, facing your junior who has just recovered, are you willing to resort to 'Tsuutensoku' to bully me? Where is your warrior spirit?"
After breaking Zhao Hufeng's assault, Luke didn't waste any time. He swiftly changed his sword technique, and countless sword lights attacked Zhao Hufeng.
Scattered Strike Technique, Hiten-Mitsurugi-Ryu·Ryūsōsen!
The radiance of the 'Tsuutensoku' under Zhao Hufeng's feet flashed, and with a forceful kick, he soared into the air.
Dodging the Ryūsōsen in mid-air, Zhao Hufeng's face darkened upon hearing Luke's mockery. He then accelerated in a nosedive from the sky.
Descending like a meteor, accelerated by gravity, Zhao Hufeng, with a furious momentum, crashed towards Luke.
At the same time, through gritted teeth, he said, "I don't want to use the 'Tsuutensoku' either, but I demand you to put down the 'Ser-Veresta' first!"
Zhao Hufeng, embodying the spirit of a warrior, didn't wish to rely on external forces to become stronger.
However, faced with 'Ser-Veresta,' which could unleash its full power and even sever Orga Lux armaments, if he used a regular Lux, he wouldn't stand a chance in sparring with Luke.
Forced into a corner, he equipped the 'Tsuutensoku' to attempt to withstand the sharpness of 'Ser-Veresta.'
Faced with Zhao Hufeng's powerful and forceful attack, Luke had no intention of dodging.
Since they were sparring, not engaged in a battle where winning was necessary, and a direct clash better suited Luke's preference.
For a swordsman, no matter what move the enemy uses, he can just cut them with one sword.
Suddenly, a scabbard appeared in Luke's hand. Without any pause, Ser-Veresta was instantly sheathed.
At the moment when Zhao Hufeng's attack descended, Ser-Veresta was unsheathed abruptly.
Boom!
The floor beneath their feet kept shattering. The impact generated by the collision of the two Orga Lux armaments immediately destroyed the ground around them.
This clash resulted in a stalemate between the two. However, just as Zhao Hufeng finished his move and was about to land, Luke's left hand suddenly swung.
Second-stage Battōjutsu!
Hiten-Mitsurugi-Ryu·Sōryūsen!
The skill of Battōjutsu pursues a one-hit-kill technique and usually doesn't involve subsequent swordsmanship patterns after that one strike.
However, precisely because it relies on a single strike, if that strike fails to defeat the opponent, the practitioner might find themselves without further means.
Hiten-Mitsurugi-Ryu's Battōjutsu overcomes this fatal weakness with the introduction of the two-stage Battōjutsu!
All of Hiten-Mitsurugi-Ryu's sword techniques in Battōjutsu can perform attacks in two stages.
Luke's left-hand scabbard traced an arc of light and forcefully cleaved into Zhao Hufeng.
Then, the scabbard shattered.
Yes, this scabbard-type Lux truly shattered upon striking Zhao Hufeng.
"…"
"…"
The atmosphere became awkward for a moment.
Just now, when Zhao Hufeng was unexpectedly hit by Luke's move, he genuinely thought he had lost.
However, he hadn't anticipated that this seemingly fierce strike was just a flashy move?
However, the next moment, he figured out what had happened. The sparring session concluded, and both of them walked over to nearby chairs to take a break.
"That just now was an issue with 'Ser-Veresta,' right?"
Although Zhao Hufeng was asking, judging from his tone, he had essentially concluded that it was indeed an issue with 'Ser-Veresta.'
"Yeah, Senior Brother, you're aware of how sharp 'Ser-Veresta' is. Ordinary Lux armaments simply can't withstand its unsheathing."
Luke scratched his head, feeling awkward about the whole situation. The reason the scabbard had shattered was that it had already been worn out when 'Ser-Veresta' was unsheathed.
So, that's why it shattered directly upon impact.
The sword scabbards Luke currently uses, all of which are scabbard-type Lux armaments, can only withstand Ser-Veresta unsheathing once, becoming practically unusable afterward.
However, one unsheathing is usually sufficient, affecting only one or two techniques that require the scabbard for supplementary attacks.
While it's not accurate to say there's no impact on Luke, the effects are still within an acceptable range.
For example, Hiten-Mitsurugi-ryu-Ogi-Amakakeru Ryū no Hirameki!, is also a sword-drawing technique, and due to the characteristics of Hiten-Mitsurugi-Ryu, its attack is also two stages.
However, since it doesn't use the scabbard for the second strike, it remains unaffected.
On the other hand, Sōryūsen, which utilizes the scabbard for the second strike, would fail if the scabbard is damaged.
"It seems Master has already started preparing. With the Master taking action, the issue with the scabbard should undoubtedly be resolved."
"However, are you sure it won't affect your performance on 'Lindwurm Festa'?"
Zhao Hufeng knew about Master Fan Xinglu's demands on Luke. Once Fan Xinglu said something, she never took it back.
If she said she would solve the scabbard issue only if Luke won the championship, and if Luke made a mistake, even if everything was prepared, Fan Xinglu would never hand it over to him.
"No problem, Senior Brother Zhao, you can rest assured. I am determined to win this year's 'Lindwurm'!"
After all, even if we don't mention the scabbard issue, this 'Lindwurm' is crucial for the evaluation of his mainline mission.
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